1 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Union County, New Mexico. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Union County, New Mexico, accounting for 31 of the 32 recorded flood events over the past 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database. Severe weather events driven by daytime heating, upper-level disturbances, and abundant atmospheric moisture frequently produce heavy rainfall capable of triggering rapid inundation.
Historical events illustrate these localized hazards. On July 1, 2021, abundant atmospheric moisture and rising temperatures caused deep convection that produced heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Grenville, resulting in two cars getting swept away by flood waters. Additional significant flash flood events occurred on August 29, 2020, and June 8, 2025, driven by combinations of backdoor cold fronts, upslope flow, and moisture east of a dryline.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated in low-lying areas, near drainage paths, and within designated flood zones where intense summer convection poses immediate risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18 NOAA storm reports from Union County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Mexico flood stories →
7 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Fire Threats | May 5, 2000 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 22, 1997 |
| Drought | Mar 2, 1977 |
| Severe Storms, Snow Melt & Flooding | May 11, 1973 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
32 since 1996: 31 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2022 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2021 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 29, 2020 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2019 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Jul 30, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 8, 2025. Daytime heating combined with higher moisture east of a dryline and upper level northwest flow across the northern and central Rockies and Great Plains resulted in the development of severe storms with large hail across Colfax, Union and far northeast Harding Counties during the late afternoon and evening hours before exiting into West Texas after midnight. A more potent shortwave at the base of an upper low over…
Flash Flood · Jul 30, 2022. The end of July continued to be busy for meteorologists at the Albuquerque National Weather Service Office as numerous thunderstorms impacted the area on July 30, 2022. With well above normal moisture available in the atmosphere, these thunderstorms were robust and very capable of producing heavy rainfall. Several flash flooding reports were received, including in the Rio Rancho and Edgewood areas.
Flash Flood · Jul 1, 2021. An abundant amount of atmospheric moisture remained in place across New Mexico on July 1, 2021, which set the stage for another round of widespread thunderstorms across the area. Temperatures also continued to warm several degrees which allowed for more instability across northern and central New Mexico. The result was deeper and more robust convection that produced heavy rainfall across portions of the area. Flas…
Flash Flood · Aug 29, 2020. A backdoor cold front that moved through eastern and central New Mexico late August 28, 2020, replenished low-level moisture across the plains. A weak upper-level trough that was moving through southern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico provided additional lift and wind shear to produce isolated severe thunderstorms in the area. Upslope flow allowed for thunderstorms to form early in the day across the northern…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Union County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.